The reason why this is a big step is that Mellel has gone from a proprietary format to an open format as Ori points out. This facilitates long-term preservation of users' data since the format is now openly published rather than locked up in a private proprietary format known only to the company.
An open format is a half-way point to an open standard.
The point that you're making, which I also think is correct, is that although the format is now openly published and accessible, it is not a standard. Standards used across all apps, like TCP/IP, facilitate the free flow of information among users of different apps in the present. As long as companies produce their own versions of XML (like Apple, MS, and now Mellel) we still face a tower of Babel with each program speaking a different format language.
That's why, while Mellel's step is in the right direction and deserves praise, until all similar apps standardize on one open standard, such as the XML-based OpenDocument Format (ODF) which is what Open Office, NeoOffice, and many others are adopting, the free flow of information among documents written in different apps will be stymied.
Existing users, log in. New users, create a free account. Lost password?
Woohoo! - jeffnailen--2008
I think your point is well taken, as is Ori's.The reason why this is a big step is that Mellel has gone from a proprietary format to an open format as Ori points out. This facilitates long-term preservation of users' data since the format is now openly published rather than locked up in a private proprietary format known only to the company.
An open format is a half-way point to an open standard.
The point that you're making, which I also think is correct, is that although the format is now openly published and accessible, it is not a standard. Standards used across all apps, like TCP/IP, facilitate the free flow of information among users of different apps in the present. As long as companies produce their own versions of XML (like Apple, MS, and now Mellel) we still face a tower of Babel with each program speaking a different format language.
That's why, while Mellel's step is in the right direction and deserves praise, until all similar apps standardize on one open standard, such as the XML-based OpenDocument Format (ODF) which is what Open Office, NeoOffice, and many others are adopting, the free flow of information among documents written in different apps will be stymied.
Reply to This | Parent
Saturday, September 02 2006 @ 03:55 PM PDT